Eric Jacobsen has written a book that seeks to address the loneliness crisis and the importance of belonging called Three Pieces of Glass.
🧵 about the three pieces of glass and how they have each contributed to loneliness, and how they have impacted the church
The three pieces of glass are:
1) The Car Windscreen
2) The TV
3) The Smartphone
The impact of each piece of glass is that though they make life easier, they stop human interaction.
The car has meant that people no longer walk to places or take public transport. It actually goes further than this, changing the configuration of living spaces (houses have garages and driveways), as well as the distance we live from the places we work and shop.
The TV has meant that we get to know people (TV friends) who make no demands on us and with whom communication is only one way (from them to us).
The smartphone has meant that those places where the possibility of engaging with others remained, like queues in shops, school picks up, are now occupied by scrolling through social media feeds.
The result is that our human interactions have shifted from face to face to virtual, from in-front of you to anywhere in the world.
Each of the three pieces of glass have had an impact on the church.
The car means that church members no longer live or need to live in the community the church is based.
The TV will be one factor that has contributed to the expectation that some have that they go to church to be entertained and then leave.
The smartphone has shifted church life and ministry from face to face to virtual. YouTube services. Zoom prayer meetings and Bible studies. WhatsApp discussions.
It is worth thinking about the impact these three pieces of glass are having on the local church you are member of:
Do the members live in the community the church is based? Do they interact with one another during the week?
Do people come to church services expecting to be entertained and then leave quickly?
Are people who are able to gather in-person prioritising virtual meetings?